Milestones

Milestones include engagement, wedding and birth announcements as well as job promotions, military service and similar personal accomplishments of you and your family that you wish to share with the community.

Five Nazareth College undergraduate students who are from Genesee County earned their bachelor's degrees at the 91st Annual Commencement ceremony that took place at the Blue Cross Arena in Rochester on May 13.

Marissa Colantonio, of Batavia, graduated with a bachelor's degree in History with a minor in Political Science.

Savannah Gill, of Le Roy, graduated with a bachelor's degree in Music Education.

Hannah Green, of Byron, graduated Cum Laude with a bachelor's degree in Health Sciences with a minor in Psychology.

Siena Pullinzi, of Batavia, graduated with a bachelor's degree in Studio Art.

Dakota Pursel, of Pavilion, graduated with a bachelor's degree in Biomedical Sciences with a minor in Psychology.

In addition, three Genesee County students earned graduate degrees and were recognized at the May 13 Commencement. They are:

Sarah Gray, of Corfu, earned their Master of Science in Music Therapy.

Brittni Loewke, of Bergen, earned their Master of Social Work in Social Work.

Andrea Raphael, of Batavia, earned their Master of Science in Occupational Therapy.

The coeducational, religiously independent, classic campus in Pittsford, a charming suburb of Rochester, N.Y., challenges and supports 2,000 undergrads and 800 graduate students. Nazareth is recognized nationally for its Fulbright global student scholars and commitment to civic engagement. Rigorous programs, an uncommon core, experiential learning, career skills, and a global focus prepare graduates for not just one job, but for their life's work.

Peconic Landing and historic Brecknock Hall in Greenport, N.Y., are honored to announce the winners of the eighth Annual Veterans Day Wedding Giveback. The willing couple will receive an all-expenses paid wedding at Brecknock Hall thanks to the support of area businesses.

Both are active service members who met while serving at the 106th Rescue Wing at Francis S. Gabreski Air National Guard Base in Westhampton Beach, N.Y.

The couple currently serves full time at the 103rd Airlift Wing, a unit of the Connecticut Air National Guard. The couple was notified they were selected during a surprise reveal Tuesday afternoon. (View the You Tube video of the announcement here.)

Trenton has served for 10 years and is currently an E6 Flight Engineer. He has received a Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Afghanistan Campaign Medal, and National Defense Service Medal, among other medals and ribbons.

Jennifer has served for five years and is currently an E5 Airfield Manager, and was recently named "Airman of the Year" for the Connecticut Air National Guard 103rd Operations Group. She has also received an Air Force Commendation Medal in support of her service during Operation Enduring Freedom, among multiple other medals and ribbons.

The couple intends on making a 30-year career in the military and also spends time volunteering in their local community, including making care packages for members overseas and donating Thanksgiving dinners to wounded veterans, among others. Jennifer has also helped coach a youth cheerleading team.

Trenton and Jennifer were engaged Veterans Day Weekend 2017 while taking a helicopter tour in Rhode Island to celebrate Jennifer's recent promotion to Staff Sergeant. The two landed in a field at sunset where Trenton proposed.

“First and foremost I want to extend my sincerest thank you to all those who contribute to making this military wedding giveaway possible!" Jennifer said. "It's truly amazing to know that so many people in our community support military members and are willing to donate their time and resources to make our dream wedding a reality.

"We are forever grateful and equally as excited! Our military lifestyle can sometimes make seeing family and friends difficult so I am extremely thankful that this special occasion will bring everyone together and Brecknock Hall at Peconic Landing is a breathtakingly beautiful place to do so. We are truly blessed and overwhelmed with joy!"

Trenton added, "we cherish your support for military veterans and are honored to have been chosen as the winning couple. Thank you for helping make Jennifer's dream wedding become a reality. We look forward to working with all the vendors over the next few months and can't wait to see it all come together. Thank you again for your support."

The winning couple was chosen by a panel of Peconic Landing's veteran members who judge the contest based on the number of years served, special military honors, contributions to the community and each couple's personal love story. Their wedding will take place on Sunday, Nov. 11, 2018, in celebration of Veterans Day, and will accommodate up to 80 guests.

"The Veterans Wedding Giveback Committee diligently reviewed 12 applications this year; it is always a tough job to narrow down to one couple from the list." said Ted Webb, a Navy veteran and president of the Brecknock Hall Foundation. We are delighted to congratulate Trenton and Jennifer as this year's winners."

We are indebted to all the sponsors and vendors for their generous support. What a wonderful way to say 'thank you' to those who serve our country in the armed forces."

Robert J. Syron, president and CEO of Peconic Landing, delivered the good news during the surprise reveal on May 15.

“It has been some time since we had a couple actively serving at the same time, and it’s also very fitting that they have served in our local community at the 106th in Westhampton Beach," Syron said. "We wish them a future of happiness and success. Thank you, again, to all of the sponsors who make this giveaway possible."

Peconic Landing is an innovative, not-for-profit CCAC-CARF-accredited continuing care retirement community (CCRC) located on the waterfront in Greenport, N.Y., on the North Fork of Long Island. Among its long list of achievements, Peconic Landing is the only equity-based LifeCare community in the State of New York. It is a member of LeadingAge and LeadingAge New York and embraces a healthy, active lifestyle infused with a sense of exploration, creativity, and generosity of spirit.

Mr. and Mrs. William Anderson, of Batavia, are pleased to announce the engagement of their son, Bryan Anderson, of Rochester, to Allison Nickel, of Rochester, the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Mark Nickel, of Pittsford.

The engagement took place on Nov. 18th at Tony D’s on the Canal.

Miss Nickel is a graduate of Fairport High School, University of Connecticut and Nazareth College. Miss Nickel is a RN at Golisano Children’s Hospital in the Pediatric ICU.

Mr. Anderson is a graduate of Batavia High School and attended Roberts Wesleyan College and Medaille College. Mr. Anderson is an electrical apprentice at Dynamark.

Hon. Gary A. Graber, Darien Town Justice, was recognized for 10 years of service as a faculty member at the National Judicial College, Reno, Nev., on April 12.

During that period, Judge Graber taught at 24 classes in eight states in addition to the National Judicial College location in Nevada. The remainder of the classes were either state specific or national Web courses, all of which focused on commercial driver’s license / commercial motor-vehicle topics.

Judges have a vital state enforcement role in the nation’s commercial driver’s license (CDL) safety program. Not only must they take into account the CDL regulations when adjudicating and sentencing drivers, they must know and require their courts to adhere to CDL reporting requirements.

These outreach sessions provided through federal grants minimize the lack of familiarity and education with regard to CDL/CMV regulations. Members of the judiciary at all levels must better understand their roles in the CDL program and the effect their decisions and actions have on state enforcement of highway safety.

The SUNY Geneseo chapter of the Golden Key International Honour Society recently inducted students into the organization during a campus ceremony. Sophomores, juniors or seniors with a grade point average that places them in the top 15 percent of their class are eligible for membership.

The following students from this area were inducted:

Thomas Grammatico from Batavia;

Ashley Montgomery from Bergen.

SUNY Geneseo is a premiere public liberal arts college dedicated to developing socially responsible citizens with skills and values for a productive life.

Medaille College has named Anne McQueen, of Le Roy, to the dean's list for the fall 2017 semester. Students that meet the requirements of a minimum of 12 credit hours and earn a grade-point average of 3.5 or higher for all credit hours carried during that semester are placed on the dean's list.

Medaille College is a private, four-year college with campuses in Buffalo, Rochester and online. Medaille offers associate, bachelor's, master's and doctoral degrees in a variety of in-demand fields through day, evening, weekend and online programs.

Known for its emphasis on experiential education, its small classes and a commitment to affordability, Medaille has proven systems in place to ensure student success inside and outside of the classroom. To learn more, call 800-292-1582 or visit www.medaille.edu.

Sydney Loria, a member of the Colgate University Class of 2018, has earned the fall 2017 Dean's Award with Distinction.

Loria is a graduate of Batavia High School, from Batavia. Loria's current major is Chemistry.

Students who receive a term grade-point average of 3.6 or higher while completing at least three courses during the fall 2017 semester earn the Dean's Award with Distinction.

Colgate University is a highly selective residential liberal arts institution distinguished by its commitment to global engagement, student-faculty research, off-campus study, sustainable practices, and utilizing technology to enhance the teaching and learning experience.

Colgate offers 55 majors to a diverse student body of approximately 2,900 undergraduate students, and supports 25 Division I athletic teams. Since 1819, the university's campus in rural central New York has been renowned for its beauty and for the important role it plays in the student experience.

Major General Anthony P. German, the Adjutant General for the State of New York, announces the recent promotion of members of the New York Army National Guard in recognition of their capability for additional responsibility and leadership.

Tanner Bolsei, from Le Roy, and assigned to the Headquarters and Service Company, 642nd Support Battalion received a promotion to the rank of Private First Class.

Army National Guard promotions are based on overall performance, attitude, leadership ability, and development potential.

These promotions additionally recognize the best qualified Soldiers and attract and retain the highest caliber Citizen Soldiers for a career in the New York Army National Guard.

The New York National Guard (New York State Division of Military and Naval Affairs) is the state's executive agency responsible to the Governor for managing New York's Military Forces, which consists of nearly 20,000 members of the New York Army National Guard, the New York Air National Guard, the New York Naval Militia and the New York Guard.

A team of Rochester Institute of Technology students, including Kyle Carretto, of Corfu, took second place at the annual Northeast Collegiate Cyber Defense Competition held March 16-18 in New Hampshire.

University at Buffalo took first at the 2018 regional competition. RIT placed second and Northeastern University placed third.

The annual event is part of the nation's largest college-level cyber defense competition, an extracurricular event that helps to train the next generation of cybersecurity experts. The competition gives student teams the opportunity to assume responsibility for the information technology operations of a simulated organization, allowing them to apply cyber defense skills in a real-world scenario.

For the competition, a group of industry professionals from government and companies-called the red team-is assigned to break into computer networks to exploit information from a mock company. Teams of students are "hired" by the company to prevent that information theft from occurring.

In this year's scenario, teams were brought into a fictitious security company called "Wild Eagle" and were expected to secure the network after members of their previous team left the company. Students had the opportunity to test their skills securing and defending widely deployed technologies, including Windows and Linux servers and workstations, next-generation firewalls, and cloud services.

Teams were scored on their ability to detect and respond to outside threats, maintain existing services, respond to business requests such as the addition or removal of services and balance security needs with business needs.

Rochester Institute of Technology is home to leading creators, entrepreneurs, innovators and researchers. Founded in 1829, RIT enrolls about 19,000 students in more than 200 career-oriented and professional programs, making it among the largest private universities in the U.S.

Major General Anthony P. German, the Adjutant General for the State of New York, announces the recent retirement of members of the New York Army National Guard, marking their end of service to community, state and nation as part of the Army National Guard.

Chief Warrant Officer 4 Michael Risewick from Le Roy and assigned to the Company B, 642nd Support Battalion, retired from the New York Army National Guard last month after some 37 years of military service.

Risewick first entered the military in February 1981.

"It is a bittersweet achievement, each time we celebrate the retirement for one of our National Guard Citizen Soldiers," German said. "I want to applaud the accomplishment and the milestone of more than 20 years of service not only of these Soldiers, but of their families and civilian employers. We say that we recruit Soldiers in the Army National Guard, but we know that to make this a career we retain families," German said.

"On behalf of our force, I want to wish only the greatest success for all the future endeavors of our retirees as they embark on new chapters of their lives."

The New York National Guard (New York State Division of Military and Naval Affairs) is the state's executive agency responsible to the Governor for managing New York's Military Forces, which consists of nearly 20,000 members of the New York Army National Guard, the New York Air National Guard, the New York Naval Militia and the New York Guard.

Lee Johnson from East Pembroke was named to the President's List at The State University of New York at Geneseo for the fall semester 2017. To be on the list, a student must have achieved an A in all coursework (4.0 grade-point average) while taking at least 12 credit hours.

SUNY Geneseo is a premiere public liberal arts college dedicated to developing socially responsible citizens with skills and values for a productive life.

The State University of New York at Geneseo has announced its Dean's List for the fall semester 2017. To be on the list, a student must have achieved at least a 3.5 grade-point average while taking a minimum of 12 credit hours.

SUNY Geneseo is a premiere public liberal arts college dedicated to developing socially responsible citizens with skills and values for a productive life.

Batavia native Madison Moore, an Ithaca College student, was named to the dean's list for the fall 2017 semester.

From day one, Ithaca College prepares students for success through hands-on experience with internships, research and study abroad. Its integrative curriculum builds bridges across disciplines and uniquely blends liberal arts and professional study. Located in New York's Finger Lakes region, the College is home to 6,100 undergraduate and 460 graduate students.

Eugene Jankowski Jr. (left), of Batavia, and James Mixon (right) of Allardt,Tenn., are presented with awards by Match Director Joe Burdick (center) for finishing Third Place Trooper Division at the Bushnell Elite Tactical Sniper Challenge held Feb. 16-18 in Clinton, S.C.

Jankowski is president of the Batavia City Council and a retired City of Batavia police lieutenant.

More than 100 competitors from all over the country attended. The competition is a team event requiring the Trooper Division members to carry their rifle and gear between the nine separate stages of fire based off of real life military and police incidents.

This amounted to the teams hiking a total of 25 miles over three days in natural terrain carrying an approximately 50-pound backpack.

Competitors were required to engage multiple targets from unusual positions such as a crashed helicopter, tower, house, vehicle and even a climbing wall.

One stage required firing a single shot through a 2-inch hole in a piece of steel at 250 yards to hit the small target behind it. Another involved being seat belted into a special made SUV while it was rolled onto its roof and using a hand gun to shoot targets through the window while upside down. Teams then had to free themselves from the seatbelt, exit the upside down SUV, recover their gear and run 50 yards to engage the rifle targets.

Jankowski said “It was one of the most physically demanding and fun matches I’ve ever competed in. I can’t wait to see what they have planned for next year!”

Photo below is of the gear Jankowski, like the other competitors, had to carry to each incident. Bottom photo is "the view from the SUV moments before the rollover.'"

Genesee Community College is pleased to announce the appointment of Lindsay A. Gerhardt as the new assistant dean of Admissions and Recruitment.

Gerhardt will be responsible for the administration of college admissions and recruitment efforts, overseeing a team of recruitment specialists who travel extensively across the Genesee, Livingston, Orleans and Wyoming County region, as well as to Rochester, Buffalo, Syracuse, New York City area, and occasionally internationally.

Gerhardt comes to GCC after 11 years of service at SUNY Geneseo in progressively more demanding admissions roles, culminating as the associate director. She served on numerous committees at Geneseo, among them: President's Commission on Diversity and Community; Enrollment Marketing Strategy Team, Equity Scorecard; and the Scholarship Committee. She also worked Alfred University as an admissions counselor, where she was recognized as the #1 Recruiter in 2005-2006.

"Lindsay is a solid addition to our already fantastic Admissions and Recruitment team," said Virginia (Ginny) Taylor, Ph.D., vice president of Student and Enrollment Services. "Her professional experience and obvious dedication to student success aligns perfectly with our student success coaching model and with GCC's student-centered philosophy to higher education."

Gerhardt first cultivated her love of education during her four years as a teacher in Rochester. Since 2007, she has been very involved in the New York State Transfer and Articulation Association -- a nonprofit professional organization dedicated to the promotion and mobility of transfer students in higher education. She has served as a member of the NYSTAA executive board, newsletter committee and annual conference co-chair. In 2014, she received the New York State Transfer and Articulation Association Distinguished Service Award.

Gerhardt earned her M.S. Ed. in Literary Education from Nazareth College of Rochester in 2006, and her Bachelor of Arts in Education from Mercyhurst University in 2002. A Rochester native, Gerhardt currently resides in North Chili with her family.

SUNY New Paltz announces its dean's list for the fall 2017 semester, a recognition for students who excel academically and earn at least a 3.3 grade-point average in a semester with a full-time course load.

The following New Paltz students made the Dean's List in fall 2017:

Olivia Carroll, of Oakfield (14125)

Lilly LeTourneau, of Alexander (14005)

Eva Muir, of Corfu (14036)

Located in the heart of a dynamic college town, ninety minutes from metropolitan New York City, the State University of New York at New Paltz is a highly selective college of about 8,000 undergraduate and graduate students.

Newly elected Genesee County legislators Gordon Dibble (District 3, towns of Pembroke & Darien), John Hilchey (District 1, towns of Alabama & Oakfield), and Gary T. Maha (District 9, Wards 4 & 5, City of Batavia) attended an Orientation Program for Newly Elected and Appointed County Officials, sponsored by the New York State Association of Counties (NYSAC) at its annual Legislative Conference held in Albany Jan. 29-31.

Topics of discussion and presentations included an overview of the New York State Association of Counties; New York State Open Government Laws; Major Policy Issues Affecting Counties; Introduction to County Finance and Budget Issues; County Government Structure in New York State; Ethics in Government; Adopting Local Laws; and Role of the Clerks of Legislative Boards.

Approximately 70 newly elected and appointed county officials attended the training program, and upon completion were awarded Certificates of Achievement by NYSAC’s County Government Institute and Cornell University.

At the Batavia City School District Board of Education meeting on Feb. 6, several students and staff members were presented with achievement awards for their exemplary work and contributions.

Nathaniel Barber is an Outstanding Student!

In recognition of his demonstrated kindness, compassion, and respectfulness to all staff and fellow students, kindergartener Nathaniel Barber was presented with an Outstanding Student Award by Board of Education president Patrick Burk.

He was nominated by Kelly Heizmann, Lucille DiSanto, and Shannon Reiss who wrote, “At six years old, Nathaniel is a model of the core beliefs we hope to instill in our students at Batavia City Schools. Nathaniel comes to school every day with a smile on his face and ready to learn. No matter how challenging the task, Nathaniel approaches everything with a positive attitude and puts forth his best effort.

"During his busy days, there are times Nathaniel has to leave a task incomplete to attend one of his therapy sessions; when he returns to class, he is not only ready but wants to finish the work he left behind. This is just one example of his strong work ethic. Nathaniel takes newly learned skills from a therapy session and independently applies them to all areas of his school day.

"For example, it is not uncommon for him to independently use or correct his pencil grip in speech therapy to the correct way that he was shown in occupational therapy. Anyone who knows Nathaniel would tell you that he is respectful, compassionate, and kind to all. This is shown in his respect to our school and others by following directions and classroom rules.

"Often times Nathaniel will rub the shoulder or put his arm around a peer who may be struggling or having a difficult day. You can count on him to try to encourage or cheer up others. His kindness is seen by all who know him. His positive attitude, eagerness to learn, and happy state of mind are infectious to all of us who are lucky enough to know and work with him.”

Savahanna Vanderveer is an Outstanding Student!

In recognition of her kindness, compassion, and respectfulness to all staff and fellow students of the Batavia City School District, Savahanna Vanderveer was presented with an Outstanding Student Award by Board of Education president Patrick. She was nominated by Mary Kanaley and Eileen Peterson, who wrote, “Kindness and perseverance are just two character traits that come to mind when thinking about Savahanna. She brings a smile to everyone's face and a positive attitude to the class with her friendly, bubbly personality. She is always looking for more ways to help friends and teachers. Savahanna works hard in all areas and tries her best in everything she does. Mrs. Kanaley and Mrs. Peterson are so proud to nominate Savahanna for this award for all she has done to be a wonderful friend and student this year!”

Jeremy Mettler is an Outstanding Staff Member!

In recognition of his valuable contribution to the staff and students of the Batavia City School District, BHS Social Studies teacher Jeremy Mettler was presented with an Outstanding Staff Award by Board of Education president Patrick Burk.

He was nominated by Dr. Corey, who wrote, “Mr. Mettler is very passionate about at-risk students. He organized a poverty simulator exercise for Middle School and High School teachers so that they would learn more about how it feels to live life in poverty.

"The event was well-received by all and brings a new level of awareness about the needs of many of our students. He will help facilitate future events for teacher aides and all teachers.”

Jessica Levins is an Outstanding Staff Member!

In recognition of her valuable contribution to the community, staff, and students, Jessica Levins was presented with an Outstanding Staff Award by Board of Education president Patrick Burk.

She was nominated by Kelly Garner, who wrote, “Miss Levins works in the Counseling Center as a counseling assistant and also spends one day a week interning as she works toward her bachelor's in social work and eventually a master's in school counseling.

"In November, she was asked to help with the annual holiday donations at the High School. In addition to calling every family to procure wish lists, Miss Levins created all of the stars for our BHS Giving Tree, organized every donation that came in, and kept in constant communication with the families we helped this holiday season.

"She spent much of her own personal time to accomplish these tasks, made her own generous gift donations to the cause, and also helped deliver the gifts to families.
Miss Levins truly went above and beyond to make a difference for our families who were most in-need this holiday season.

"Because of her outstanding and selfless work, we were able to provide clothing, shoes, toys, and wrapping paper for 37 students from 13 different families this holiday season. From her outstanding connections with our students, to her work as a freshman class advisor, and now this incredible gift to our community -- Jess genuinely takes care of BCSD each and every day.

Jessica Levins and Kelly Garner are Outstanding Staff Members!

For going above and beyond to provide support to those in need, and for their compassion and leadership while serving others, Counseling Center assistant and intern Jessica Levins and BHS counselor Kelly Garner were presented with Outstanding Staff Awards by Board of Education president Patrick Burk.

They were nominated by Mark Warren, who wrote, “Kelly Garner and Jessica Levins stepped up to organize a Giving Tree for the High School staff to purchase gifts for District students in need. Their efforts allowed families in the District to help provide clothes and "wish" items to their children during the holiday season. The faculty and staff did an excellent job supporting the program, but without Mrs. Garner and Miss Levin’s compassion and leadership, it would not have been as successful.”

Ann Marie Wood is an Outstanding Staff Member!

In recognition of her valuable contribution to the staff, students, and community, Ann Marie Wood was presented with an Outstanding Staff Award by Board of Education president Patrick Burk.

She was nominated by Andrea Smith, who wrote, “Mrs. Wood serves as a substitute in many positions throughout the District. She willingly takes on the job with a smile and handles any position with dedication and enthusiasm, regardless of the challenges she may face.

"She comes to the Middle School to sub in the offices, as an aide, and even as a teacher. Mrs Wood recently served as a substitute for my Spanish classes at BMS and I could not have asked for a better person.

"Ann Marie is dedicated to the students and staff of BCSD and to the Batavia community. We are blessed to have her as part of our staff!”